Photo by: PanAm Sports
Happy Hour: Bulldogs Snap Two Pan Am Games Records Saturday
August 10, 2019 | Track & Field
LIMA, Peru – Mississippi State track and field student-athletes shattered two Pan American Games records in the span of an hour on Saturday afternoon.
Marco Arop started the party with a gold-medal run of 1:44.25 in the men's 800m, crossing the line just after 3 p.m. CT. He had barely stepped off the podium, when Anderson Peters launched the javelin 87.31m (286-5) on his first attempt in the men's competition.
Arop's performance broke a record that had stood for more than a decade. Cuban Yelmer Lopez ran 1:44.58 in 2007. The previous Pan American javelin record was 87.20m (286-1) thrown by Cuban Guillermo Martinez in 2011.
Peters now ranks fifth in the world this season, and Arop is 11th globally.
The pair's gold medals mark the second and third won by current or former Bulldogs in Lima this week. Former soccer player Catalina Perez won gold with Colombia on Friday night, her country's first international title of any kind.
Something about Peru and the Pan American Games brings out the best in Arop.
In his first trip to the nation Arop competed at the 2017 U20 Pan American Games. Despite finishing second, he eclipsed the long-standing meet record in that competition as well, breaking 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joaquim Cruz's mark with a time of 1:47.08.
With two career runner-up finishes at both the SEC and NCAA Championships and after winning a silver medal at the NACAC Championships last year, Arop finally had his moment.
On Friday, he cruised to a second-place finish in his semifinal heat to automatically qualify for the finals. In that race, the field reached the bell lap in 53.32 seconds and he crossed the finish line in 1:48.71.
Puerto Rican Welsey Vazquez took the race out at a much faster clip on Saturday. Vazquez, whom Arop ran down over the final 100m at the 2018 NACAC Championships, reached the bell in 49.74, almost four seconds earlier than the semifinals.
Once again, Arop sat on Vazquez's shoulder through the final turn then burst down the straightaway to claim the gold. When he crossed the line, Arop had shaved a full second off of his lifetime best and surpassed former Bulldog Olympian Brandon McBride by a quarter of a second for State's school record. His time is the fastest by a collegian in 2019.
Peters wasted no time on the javelin runway. Just two months after he broke his own NCAA Championships meet record to win his second straight national title, he etched his name in another competition's record book.
The St. Andrews, Grenada, native now holds meet records at the SEC Championships, NCAA Championships and Pan American Games along with the Bulldogs' freshman and school records and the Grenadian national record.
Peters' first attempt put nearly four meters of separation between himself and 2012 Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. The rest of the field would spend the next five rounds chasing that pair, but only two other throwers would crack 80.00m (262-5).
Former Bulldog Curtis Thompson was also in the field, finishing 10th with a mark of 65.39m (214-6).
Peters launched another massive throw on his final attempt, but the mark was not measured after it was determined his right foot narrowly touched the foul line on the throw. With his gold medal, Peters extended his winning streak to nine meets. He has not finished off the podium in any meet, collegiate or international, since the start of his collegiate career in 2018.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Men's 800m Semifinals: Bryce Hoppel, United States (Kansas), 1:48.04
MSU: 4. Marco Arop, Canada, 1:48.71
Men's Javelin Finals: Anderson Peters, Grenada, 87.31m (286-5)
MSU: 10. Curtis Thompson, USA, 65.39m (214-6)
Marco Arop started the party with a gold-medal run of 1:44.25 in the men's 800m, crossing the line just after 3 p.m. CT. He had barely stepped off the podium, when Anderson Peters launched the javelin 87.31m (286-5) on his first attempt in the men's competition.
Arop's performance broke a record that had stood for more than a decade. Cuban Yelmer Lopez ran 1:44.58 in 2007. The previous Pan American javelin record was 87.20m (286-1) thrown by Cuban Guillermo Martinez in 2011.
Peters now ranks fifth in the world this season, and Arop is 11th globally.
The pair's gold medals mark the second and third won by current or former Bulldogs in Lima this week. Former soccer player Catalina Perez won gold with Colombia on Friday night, her country's first international title of any kind.
Arop's Peruvian Success Continues
🚨 RECORD ALERT 🚨@marco_arop shatters the Pan American Games record and the MSU school record, running 1:44.25 to win gold! That ranks 11th in the 🌎 this year!#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/ikaKPVbrD9
— Mississippi State T&F (@HailStateTF) August 10, 2019
Something about Peru and the Pan American Games brings out the best in Arop.
In his first trip to the nation Arop competed at the 2017 U20 Pan American Games. Despite finishing second, he eclipsed the long-standing meet record in that competition as well, breaking 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joaquim Cruz's mark with a time of 1:47.08.
With two career runner-up finishes at both the SEC and NCAA Championships and after winning a silver medal at the NACAC Championships last year, Arop finally had his moment.
On Friday, he cruised to a second-place finish in his semifinal heat to automatically qualify for the finals. In that race, the field reached the bell lap in 53.32 seconds and he crossed the finish line in 1:48.71.
Puerto Rican Welsey Vazquez took the race out at a much faster clip on Saturday. Vazquez, whom Arop ran down over the final 100m at the 2018 NACAC Championships, reached the bell in 49.74, almost four seconds earlier than the semifinals.
Once again, Arop sat on Vazquez's shoulder through the final turn then burst down the straightaway to claim the gold. When he crossed the line, Arop had shaved a full second off of his lifetime best and surpassed former Bulldog Olympian Brandon McBride by a quarter of a second for State's school record. His time is the fastest by a collegian in 2019.
Watching on repeat all weekend long!
— Mississippi State T&F (@HailStateTF) August 10, 2019
Congratulations @marco_arop 🇨🇦!#HailState🐶 | @ESPNU pic.twitter.com/5RfXJwZ4dQ
Peters Puts on a Show
Your gold medalist with a Pan American Games record, Grenadian national record and MSU school record throw of 87.31m (286-5) is @A_Peters_1!#HailState🐶 | #JavU pic.twitter.com/XpsbXeV1FX
— Mississippi State T&F (@HailStateTF) August 10, 2019
Peters wasted no time on the javelin runway. Just two months after he broke his own NCAA Championships meet record to win his second straight national title, he etched his name in another competition's record book.
The St. Andrews, Grenada, native now holds meet records at the SEC Championships, NCAA Championships and Pan American Games along with the Bulldogs' freshman and school records and the Grenadian national record.
Peters' first attempt put nearly four meters of separation between himself and 2012 Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. The rest of the field would spend the next five rounds chasing that pair, but only two other throwers would crack 80.00m (262-5).
🚨RECORD ALERT🚨
— Mississippi State T&F (@HailStateTF) August 10, 2019
BIG MARK for @A_Peters_1 to open the competition as he throws 87.31m (286-5) to break his own school and national records along with the Pan American Games record!#HailState🐶 | #JavU pic.twitter.com/DzQU3vS94T
Former Bulldog Curtis Thompson was also in the field, finishing 10th with a mark of 65.39m (214-6).
Peters launched another massive throw on his final attempt, but the mark was not measured after it was determined his right foot narrowly touched the foul line on the throw. With his gold medal, Peters extended his winning streak to nine meets. He has not finished off the podium in any meet, collegiate or international, since the start of his collegiate career in 2018.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Pan American Games Results
Men's 800m Finals: Marco Arop, Canada, 1:44.25Men's 800m Semifinals: Bryce Hoppel, United States (Kansas), 1:48.04
MSU: 4. Marco Arop, Canada, 1:48.71
Men's Javelin Finals: Anderson Peters, Grenada, 87.31m (286-5)
MSU: 10. Curtis Thompson, USA, 65.39m (214-6)
Players Mentioned
Mid Dis
/ Track & Field
Throws
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Throws
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